Last May the Department of Environmental Protection admitted that the cost of their Croton water filtration plant project in Van Cortlandt Park has risen from $1.3 billion just three years ago to $2.1 billion. What they didn’t say was that the month before the NYC Independent Budget Office (IBO) estimated the cost had risen to $2.6 billion. In June I stated that it appears the cost was approaching $2.8 billion. For months this was denied by DEP. By September, the IBO concluded that the cost was at $2.8 billion, agreeing with me. At that point the DEP could no longer deny the truth, so they settled on a fallback argument: costs have gone up in the construction industry. Of course costs have gone up, but they haven’t doubled in three years.

Most of my Bronx Assembly colleagues have joined me in asking for investigations and hearings into these massive cost overruns. We have asked the Speaker of the Assembly and the City Council to convene hearings on the cost overruns, and we asked the NYS Attorney General and Comptroller to investigate this scandal. The public needs to know how their money is being spent and why the cost of this project has escalated by $1.5 billion in such a short period of time.

Governor Spitzer signed into law my bill that will go a long way in keeping guns out of the hands of convicted felons. Prior to the passage of this legislation, a person who had been convicted of a violent felony offense or a Class A-1 felony could lawfully possess a rifle or shotgun if they were issued a certificate of relief from disabilities or a certificate of good conduct from a parole board or the court of conviction. This legislation eliminates this loophole and severely limits the ability of felons to possess a firearm or obtain a firearms license.

We can’t ignore gun violence and we can’t afford to let criminals possess these dangerous weapons. We need to pay special attention to those who have access to deadly weapons and how to reduce gun violence that currently kills approximately 1,200 New Yorkers a year. This legislation is aimed at preventing further tragedies and helping law enforcement do its job protecting our communities.

Mayor Bloomberg has proposed charging passenger cars an $8 fee for driving into Manhattan below 86th Street between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays as a way to ease traffic congestion, reduce pollution and aid mass transit. While these are all admirable goals that I certainly support, I oppose the mayor’s plan. Proponents of this plan tried to ram approval this summer through the Legislature with scare tactics and half truths. Instead, the Legislature insisted upon an open process with input from the public and set up a commission to examine the issues, take public testimony and make recommendations.

I testified at the Bronx hearing of this commission. I made the following points:

• We must reduce traffic congestion and pollution, and we must improve mass transit. That is why I have called for an additional major commitment on the part of the state to fund mass transit.

• The cost of setting up this program, including hundreds of cameras, is huge, and yet another bureaucracy will have to be created to administer this program. I have serious concerns about the civil liberties aspect of placing hundreds of cameras around Manhattan as well.

• The proposed price structure is discriminatory against the Bronx because the plan calls for tolls to be deducted from the $8 fee. Most Bronxites do not pay a toll when they drive to Manhattan but would be asked to pay $8 for the congestion fee. New Jersey residents will soon be paying an $8 toll for the George Washington Bridge and would therefore pay $0 for the congestion fee. Any proposal that charges people from New Jersey nothing but charges residents of the Bronx $8 is unfair and unacceptable.

• The proposed $8 fee could be raised at any time without limit. In London, the fee for congestion pricing was increased rapidly and significantly. Once this fee is approved, then sky’s the limit.

• While the proponents justify the fee as a way to improve mass transit, I believe we need to see significant mass transit improvements before we consider a plan for congestion pricing. The MTA released a proposal over the summer listing dozens of proposed improvements and additions to express bus service in the city, but included only one improvement for the entire Bronx and none for the western half of the Bronx.

• I believe many suburbanites will try to avoid the fee by driving into the Bronx and parking in communities such as Woodlawn, Wakefield, Kingsbridge (which some people have done for years), or in the municipal lot in Norwood and then take the subway. I don’t want my district turned into a commuter parking lot.

• Charging the congestion fee in some cases would be unconscionable. What about the cancer patient who needs to go on a regular basis to visit his or her doctor in a hospital in the congestion zone? Should that person take a bus and the subway home from chemotherapy? Many people in my community drive their young children to school in the congestion zone. That means $40 per week or $1500 a year to take a child to school.

• The current proposal is very much against the interests of Bronx residents. Any plan that discriminates against any one of the boroughs of the city must be rejected. They need to go back to the drawing board or totally reject the proposal.

The MTA has proposed a fare increase for "early 2008." I, along with many of my Assembly colleagues, have urged the Chairman of the MTA that a fare increase not take effect until April 15, 2007, and I testified to this effect at the recent MTA public hearing on the proposed fare increases. I am asking for this push back until April because I believe it will allow for the case to be made for increased state and local aid to transit in the upcoming state budget deliberations.

The MTA wants to raise bridge tolls throughout the city. The proposal by the MTA is to raise tolls to $5 on "major bridges." Currently, bridges such as the Whitestone and the TriBorough have a toll of $4.50. The MTA plans to reclassify the Henry Hudson Bridge, perhaps the shortest toll bridge in New York City, as a "major bridge." This means that the toll of the Henry Hudson Bridge could jump from $2.25 (or $1.75 if you have E-Z Pass) to $5 (one-way) in the near future! That’s highway robbery! Although generally I haven’t opposed modest toll increases to help pay for mass transit, this increase is an outrageous attack on our community. A toll increase of 133 percent is an unprecedented amount and is absolutely disgraceful. Just as I am concerned that Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan could shift traffic to the Henry Hudson Parkway, I am equally concerned that a huge toll increase will cause a significant shift in traffic to the streets of Kingsbridge, Marble Hill, and the Broadway Bridge. A toll increase on the Henry Hudson Bridge should not be a higher percentage than increases on any other MTA bridge. Period.

Williamsbridge Oval Park
I have asked the Department of Parks and Recreation to make several improvements to the Williamsbridge Oval Park advocated by Norwood community residents, the Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval, and the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition. The improvements include a new dog run, the relocation of the eastern park entrance so that it lines up with Holt Place, a monthly inspection of the lighting system in the park, the reuse of excess water from sprinklers in watering plants, and an improvement of communication between the Parks Department and the community. One of the very few positive results of the water filtration plant boondoggle is the large amount of money that is to be provided for the improvement of the Oval Park.

Shalom Ireland Event Another Great Success
For the second straight year, the Shalom Ireland event that I sponsor with the Riverdale Jewish Community Council proved to be a smashing success. Held at the Riverdale YM-YWHA, the program featured selected scenes from Jake Ehrenreich’s musical comedy A Jew Grows in Brooklyn as well as Malachy McCourt’s one-man show A Couple of Blaguards. Following the performances, the two fielded questions from the audience about their experiences growing up in traditional Jewish and Irish households. The second half of the evening included a beer and food tasting buffet with an assortment of Irish and kosher cuisine. Malachy McCourt also made himself available for a book signing.

As the representative of the largest Jewish and Irish constituencies in the Bronx, I am proud to co-sponsor this event. In addition to being great fun, the event was an opportunity for the Jewish and Irish communities to come together and learn more about their respective cultures. It was fascinating to see the many similarities that exist between the Jewish and Irish cultures.

Rats!
My office received a number of complaints about rats at Key Food on West 235th Street. Constituents claimed they had seen rats both inside the store and especially in the parking lot. Neighborhood residents have noted that the rats emanating from Key Food have made their way to other buildings.

I contacted the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOH) and insisted upon immediate action. The DOH inspector found that there were, indeed, rats in the parking lot. We cannot tolerate rats in our community. I am pleased that the DOH reacted quickly to this urgent situation. Anyone who sees a rodent problem in the area please contact my office at (718) 796-5345.

Palisade Avenue Retaining Wall
This past summer I asked the Department of Transportation to immediately investigate the retaining wall on the west side of Palisade Avenue adjacent to 2465 Palisade Avenue. After examining the wall at the request of residents of the building I felt the wall may have been in serious jeopardy and wanted the city to make proper repairs to prevent another retaining wall collapse in the community. While initially denying the wall belonged to the city, the DOT subsequently admitted the retaining wall belonged to the city and that its structural integrity had been compromised. At my urging the DOT plans to take action. I have received a copy of the Capital Project Initiation from the DOT indicating that the city will rehabilitate the wall.

New Trees and Green Streets Report
I have submitted a report to Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe proposing new locations for Green Streets and new trees in the 81st Assembly District. I have outlined eight ideal locations for new Green Streets in Riverdale, Woodlawn, and Kingsbridge. These Green Streets would beautify these locations, most of which are unsightly. They are either large slabs of unused sidewalk or streets that are covered by ugly Department of Transportation markings.

In addition to my proposal for new Green Streets, I also submitted a comprehensive list of 194 locations for new trees in Kingsbridge and Van Cortlandt Village. My staff has created a map detailing the locations and it is available on Google Maps. Anyone interested in viewing the map can obtain a link by e-mailing me at dinowitzj@assembly.state.ny.us. Mayor Bloomberg has said he wants a greener New York. I certainly want a greener 81st Assembly District. This is the first installment of suggestions and requests I am making to the city. This program is an excellent one, and I strongly urge the Parks Department to act positively and quickly on my suggestions.

Huge Success for Holiday Food Drive
My Holiday Food Drive produced lots of turkeys and canned food for two local food pantries that feed the hungry. The food was donated to St. Francis of Rome Church and the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center. Both provide food for many people throughout the community.

Over 60 turkeys were generously donated by Ed Lowe of Exec-You -Van, with the help of Ben’s Market, and Seaman Car Service’s President Bienvenido de Jesus. Food was collected by students from P.S. 7, P.S. 24, P.S. 81 and the Riverdale-Kingsbridge Academy and also donated by many community residents. P.S. 24, P.S. 81 and RKA also raised money from one-dollar donations that helped purchase the turkeys.

The Holiday Food Drive had a positive impact on the lives of many people. It’s a team effort of the local schools and generous members of our community. I am pleased to lead this effort again for this holiday season.

I recently testified at a public hearing by the Department of Education on their proposal for yet another version of the Gifted and Talented Program.

The current Gifted and Talented Program is inadequate and the selection process is unfair. The DOE provides only two (overcrowded) gifted and talented classes for just one grade in all of District 10. The screening test is not objective. Outreach efforts are discriminatory. The DOE advertised the availability of the programs in Bronx local newspapers except the two newspapers in Riverdale.

The outrageous result of the DOE’s policy led to a situation where a child who lives just two blocks from P.S. 24 was told he would have to be bussed to P.S. 54 on Webster Avenue to be in the G&T program, but children from other areas with lower scores were accepted at P.S. 24.

The new proposal makes only slight improvements. I’m pleased that the screening tests are objective, but the DOE is still making only a feeble attempt to have a real program. By limiting the G&T testing only to kindergarten children the DOE is condemning most students who might otherwise qualify for a G&T program never to be in such a program. Testing should be done in additional grades. The program should be housed in many more schools in each district so that children do not have to travel great distances to get to school. The program should include more children. It’s time the DOE gets serious about creating a real Gifted and Talented Program in New York City.

I have appointed Randi Martos as Chief-of-Staff. Randi started with my office seven years ago as the Community Liaison and then served as the District Office Manager, overseeing the daily operations of the office. She supervises the staff in both the district and Albany offices. A key member of the staff, Randi has developed a reputation as an extraordinarily knowledgeable and effective community-minded individual. Randi has been an incredible asset to my office and to the entire neighborhood. She is a leader in the school community and the co-op community. She has helped countless constituents, organized numerous projects and made sure my office is as effective as it is. I am very pleased that she will serve as my Chief-of-Staff and I am confident that the whole community will benefit.

My office provides free notary service during our regular office hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please bring two forms of identification, at least one with your photo and signature, if you would like your signature notarized.